Machine for cutting seed-potatoes.



l. M. BLANCHARD. MACHINE FOR CUTTING SEED POTATOES. APPLICATION map, NOV. 2.5. 1915.

1,183,847. Patented May 23,1916.

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. MACHINE FORCUTTING SEED POTATOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. 1915.

1,183,847. Patented May 23,1916.

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MACHINE r03 CUTTING sEEnPoTAToEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed November 26, 1915. Serial No. 63,484.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ISAAC M. BLANOHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Cutting Seed-Potatoes,-of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved machine for cutting seed potatoes whereby the labor of the usual tedious hand cutting is avoided and the'work performed with greater speed. 1

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, the features of novelty being pointed outin' the appended claims.

In the accompanying draw1ngs-F1gure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with parts in section to show details. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line w-w Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a plan view of the lower side of what is shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line y3 Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail showing a partition for reducing the feed passage.

In the views 10 designates a suitable frame or table the upper portion of which is formed with a receptacle 11 for a quantity of the'seed potatoes. Descending from the bottom of this receptacle is a feed passage 12 to the cutting mechanism. Below the receptacle the frame is provided with suitable frame members 10 to support the working parts. Arranged to reciprocate in a horizontal groove 13 is a blade 1 1 having a horizontal cutting edge at its end adjacent the passage 12 and secured to the lower side of the horizontal blade 14 is a vertical blade 15 having a cutting edge operating in a plane at right angles to the cutting edge of the horizontal blade.

16, 16 designates supports for the potato. The supports are secured by bolts as at 17 to the stud shafts 18 of a lever frame 19 journaled in bearings 20 at opposite sides of the frame below the hopper. The lever frame 19 has a pair of forwardly extending arms, each provided with a spring supported pin 21 to receive one of the potato supports 16. These pins 21 are adjustable by transferring their holding pins 21 to a different hole in the shank of the pin (see Fig. 5). The said lever frame also has a rearwardly extending arm or tongue 22 that normally rests against the under side of the blade 14, but said blade is provided with an opening 23"located so that when the blade is at the forward portion of its stroke the tongue rises through said opening 23 and permits the potato supports to drop (as shown in l) and discharge the cut portions of the potato. The rearward stroke of the blade, of course, causes a depression of the tongue and the elevation of the potato supports to potato supporting position or as shown in Fig. {To insure the removal. of the cut portionofpotato from the supports there is'shown for each a wire member 24. bent atits forward end to extend over and embrace the upper side of the potato support to form a sort of clearer or scraper, said wire member having a shank provided with a hinging portion 25 fulcrumed in a metallic bearing 26. When the potato supports are oscillated the clearers are also oscillated, but because the supports swing in an arc diiferent from that of the clearer, as shown, the clearers slide on the supports. The location of the fulcrum points of the supports and their clearers is such that the clearers move toward the free end of the supports when they are depressed so as to discharge'the cut portion of the potatoes and reversely when the supports are elevated to support the potato in position to be out. It is obviously not necessary that the potato be supported during the entire time of the cut because when the knife enters the potato it is held by that member until the cut is substantially completed.

The knife can be operated directly by hand if desired. However, I have shown one form of convenient mechanism interposed between the blade and the point of application of power for operating the blade. ,Said mechanism includes a pitman rod 27 connected eccentrically with the gear wheel 28 and a fly wheel 29 having its shaft provided with a gear wheel 30 meshing with and driven by the gear wheel 28. The shaft of the gear wheel 28 is provided with a crank 31 whereby it may be turned so that upon the application of power thereto the fly wheel is driven and the knife reciprocated with a regulated motion.

Where the potatoes to be out are of a small variety or it is desired to give them a horizontal out only so as to better insure the presence of sprouting eyes in the cut portions, the cross section of the feed passage 12 can be reduced in size to exclude cutting by the vertical knife by adjusting a tending from its upper edge for closing the unused portion of the passage at the top upon such adjustment. is secured by rivets 33 to a frame '34; that is slidable transverselyv of the machine so H i combination of a reciprocatlng knife, and

that it can be easily adjusted as desired.

With this construction it, is possible for one person to cut many bushels of potatoes in a Working day, whereas by hand it is tedious and difficult to cutin that time more than a bushel or two.

The forms of the parts can be changed ithout departing fromthe gist of the invention as claimed. a What I claim is:v

1. In a machine for cutting seed potatoes, the combination of a frame provided with a feed opening, a movable knife to Work in said opening, a lever frame, a potato support, resilient means supporting said po Said partition" gravity. 1

tato support'on said lever frame so as to be movable With reference thereto and means'whereby the. lever frame and the potato support are swung to support the potato during the cutting operation and to discharge the cut potato therefrom by v2. In a machine for cutting potatoes, the

a potato support actuated upon the reciprocations of the knife, and means for automatically clearing said support of cut potatoes. 7

8. Ina machine for cutting potatoes, the combination of a reciprocating knife, an oscillating potato support actuated upon the reciprocations of the knife, and means for automatically clearing said support of cut potato consisting of a member embracing the support, said member having a shank oscillating on an axis out of line With the axis of oscillation of the potato support.

ISAAC M. BLANCHARD.

Copies of this patent may beobtained "for in cents each, by addrening the Commissioner of Patents.

v Washington, D. 0. 

